Today, with so many many different apps and dating sites like Tinder, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel, Plenty of Fish, Hinge, Happn, Match.com, and OKCupid, it’s become customary among younger generations to ask a complete stranger out online solely based on some photos and online interactions via messaging, rather than finding love through meeting people in-person.
Developers of dating apps tend to market their services as a very distorted illusion (as many women almost always find within their first few dates on an app) that finding a true, lifelong partner can just be a few clicks or swipes away. Ask any woman who has used a dating app or gone any number of dates with guys met online. The stories from women dating on apps are hilarious, bad, awkward, sad—but usually quite entertaining.
A brand new work from Playwright’s Workshop Montreal (Young Creators Unit), Miriam Cummings’ one-woman show, The One is playing as part of the St-Ambroise Fringe Festival. The show contains many hilarious stories – many of them written by Miriam on the way home from various “Tinder dates”.
Throughout the show, Miriam introduces and illustrates many date characters in her stories, including “Shots guy” among others who are anecdotal gossip-filled delights to hear about from all the women in the room. Miriam’s stories and characters in the dates act as a case example of “what not to do on a date” for some audience members in the room.
In The One, it is quite clear that from behind a screen, people can misrepresent themselves. Most users of dating apps lie, omit details, hide their bad points, show edited photos of themselves or manipulate others to believe things that are somewhat twisted from the truth. After a few starter dates, women often develop a series of criteria in what they’re looking for in a partner, and search more to fit those needs. Miriam’s story is no different, but she approaches it all with a great sense of humour, while reflecting every single woman’s frustrations with “bad dates”.
In The One, the story’s protagonist works for a start-up, working towards developing the world’s most authentic dating app. While the ideas for the app are very far-fetched and wacky if ever attempted in real-life, the ideas and notions of these kinds of apps are still very fun. The production is quite entertaining in how deep the main character is going, almost obsessively, to develop a dating app that doesn’t misrepresent users to potential dates, and saves time on finding a partner with a true connection and chemistry with the user.
Performed in the very intimate space, holding around 40 people in total, the set design for The One is very fitting for the tight, cozy stage, without feeling crowded or overbearing on the audience. The writing and Cummings’ delivery of the show is fantastic, just enough to illustrate the lead character’s personality, attitude in evaluating dating matches, and is very relatable in venting out post-date frustrations.
The One is a very real production that almost feels like a best friend sharing so many stories on the way home from bad Tinder dates. Miriam Cummings’ performance in this solo production hits very close to home for anyone who has ever been frustrated in used an app for finding love or a real connection with another person.
The One is running until June 16 as part of the St. Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival in the P’tit Impro (3713 Boul. St. Laurent). Tickets and more information are available via www.montrealfringe.ca or 514-849-FEST (3378)
Note: Although press photos mention Samantha Megarry as director, this was changed to Jessica Abdallah shortly before opening due to medical circumstances.
